Where
does the money go?

Advocacy

The March of Dimes is
successfully fighting on state and national levels to make
sure all children and families get the health care they
need. Right here in Ohio, March of Dimes volunteers fought
for passage of the Healthy Baby Bill -- a bill that will
connect families of babies with birth defects to the
resources they need. The Healthy Baby Bill was signed on
July 6, 2000, and will provide for a system to study birth
defects in Ohio.

Community
Services

In 2000, the Ohio March of
Dimes awarded $220,000 in grant funds throughout the state
to health organizations dedicated to saving babies. These
organizations provide prenatal care and education programs
to families who would not have received the care and
services they need. The March of Dimes Resource Center is
available to families across the country at 1-888-MODIMES.
The Resource Center is a hotline for anyone with questions
about pregnancy and birth defects.

Education

Imagine the heartbreaking
tragedy of a baby born with birth defects of the brain or
spinal cord. Now imagine it might have been prevented. The
March of Dimes is working to educate all women about the
lifesaving power of the B-vitamin folic acid. Taking a
multivitamin with folic acid in it could help prevent these
severe birth defects.

Research

No one is working harder
than the March of Dimes to find out why pre-term birth
happens and how it can be prevented. Every week, more than
8,400 babies are born too early. Many of these babies die or
develop medical problems that could last a lifetime. The
March of Dimes is funding special research to find out why
more babies are being born too soon. Last year alone,
national research grants awarded to the State of Ohio
totaled over $3 million.